Closer to home – say cheese

Yesterday we launched our new season menu at Contini George Street. New dishes include SOFIA -Linguine pasta with crab, fresh chilli and parsley,AGNOLOTTI -Homemade agnolotti stuffed with Peelham Farm veal ragu, bechamel, sugo and Mozzarella Di Bufala and POLENTA -Soft polenta with cavolo nero and garlic sautéed foraged mushrooms and a organic poached egg

One significant change we’re making however is to make our cheese board 100% Scottish.

We have always said we’ll buy Italian unless we can get better in Scotland. This has served us well for our fish, meat, milk, root vegetables and fruits (with the exception of our Amalfi lemons, melon, peaches, tomatoes in the winter and seasonal treats we don’t grow in Scotland) but now we think it’s time to make this next change.

We’ll keep some Italian cheeses such as Mozzarella di Bufala DOP, Burrata, Taleggio PDO, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, where we feel the texture and flavour are key to certain dishes but for our cheese board we think the variety and style of our artisan Scottish cheeses are of significant quality we want to live our Slow Food vales and support them. And many of the cheeses we’ve selected have characteristics of Italian cheese so they balance our whole menu. Corra Linn from the Errington family is a perfect example of an artisan cheese made in Scotland that resembles an Pecorino, sheep’s milk cheese, that can be found in the mountains of Lazio where we came from in Italy. Our Scottish artisan suppliers are also much smaller than our Italian cheese producers. Animal welfare and trace-ability with these smaller suppliers is unfortunately much clearer. We believe we’re making the best sustainable choose.

Formaggi

Scottish cheese selection served with Pane Carasau and I Ciacca jam

Hebridean Blue -This Scottish blue cheese made with raw cow’s milk (crumblier version of Gorgonzola)

The Westray Wife -This Scottish washed rind cheese is made with pasteurized cow’s milk (saltier version of Embriago)

Corra Linn -This beautiful raw sheep’s milk cheese (nuttier version of Pecorino Romano)

Strathearn -A beautiful washed rind cheese made with pasteurized cow’s milk (fruitier version of Taleggio)

We very much hope you agree with our decision. If you don’t we’ll listen and decide what the next change will be but very I’m happy to share these flavours. The team will be showcasing our cheeseboard when you are in the restaurant with beautiful Italian condiments, nuts and honey. Enjoy